Southeastern Grocers, the Jacksonville-based parent company of Winn-Dixie supermarkets, announced Tuesday that it will rebrand the company next year as The Winn-Dixie Co. and renew its focus on Florida.
Dozens of remodeled and new stores are planned or underway, the company said.
Among the changes, the company will:
- Open new stores in North Florida but pull back from several states.
- Grow its Own Brand products and return its iconic Lip Lickin’ Chicken.
- Expand its liquor store portfolio.
- Pilot new features such as third-party online grocery delivery and return kiosks. (Southeastern announced in September that customers could now order Winn-Dixie groceries on Amazon.)
The changes will expand Winn-Dixie’s presence in North Florida and chart a course for the company’s second century, according to a news release.
“As we enter our next century as The Winn-Dixie Company — a brand-new 100-year-old company — we are accelerating growth where our roots run deepest while staying true to our purpose of feeding and enriching the communities, families and neighbors who have supported us for generations,” Anthony Hucker, chairman and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said in the release.
Winn-Dixie history
Winn-Dixie was founded in 1925. Harveys, another subsidiary of Southeastern Grocers, was started a century ago by Iris and J.M. Harvey. There are more than 380 Winn-Dixie and Harveys supermarkets, liquors stores and pharmacies in Florida.
The company has had its financial ups and downs in recent years.
Southeastern was formed in 2012 after Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. merged with Bi-Lo LLC. Both Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo went through Chapter 11 restructurings before the merger.
Southeastern also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in 2018, saying it planned to close 94 underperforming stores. It continued operating 582 other stores in seven states under the brands Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo, Harveys and Fresco y Mas.
In 2021, Southeastern officially pulled the plug on plans to take the company public. It did not cite a specific reason but noted “the company will continue to evaluate the timing for the proposed offering as market conditions develop.”
German grocery store company Aldi bought Winn-Dixie and Harveys grocery stores last year from Southeastern in a $9 billion plan to expand Aldi’s nationwide footprint.
Then in February, a consortium of private investors acquired Southeastern from Aldi. Hucker and C&S Wholesale Grocers, a long-time supplier for the company, spearheaded the deal.
New Winn-Dixie stores
As part of its Florida focus, Southeastern has finalized an agreement to acquire Hitchcock’s Markets in Alachua, Keystone Heights and Williston. Those stores will be converted to Winn-Dixie and opened in phases beginning in late 2025.
The new Williston Winn-Dixie is expected to open in early December, ahead of the scheduled closing of the nearby Winn-Dixie. Associates from the nearby Williston location will have the opportunity to continue serving customers in the new store.
The Alachua and Keystone Heights Winn-Dixies are slated to open by summer 2026.
Southeastern said it has decided to “transition ownership” of most of its locations outside Florida. It has reached agreements or is advancing plans with multiple grocers, including 32 Winn-Dixies and eight Harveys in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Southeastern will continue to serve southern Georgia with stores in Brunswick, Folkston, Lake Park, St. Simons Island and Valdosta. Store closings are expected to be completed by year’s end.
After those transactions, The Winn-Dixie Co. will move forward with about 130 conventional grocery stores and 140 freestanding and grocery-adjacent liquor stores in Florida and southern Georgia.
Hucker will remain as chairman and CEO of The Winn-Dixie Co.
